Coercion: Why We Listen to What "They" Say

Coercion: Why We Listen to What "They" Say, Douglas Rushkoff, Riverhead Books, 1999

This book explores the ways that "they", the coercers in society, have of shaping our lives and our futures, generally without our consent. They are the ones who say, for instance, that human beings use only ten percent of their brains; that you can earn $15,000 weekly in your spare time; that Prozac alleviates depression, etc. Everyone has heard such things many times in the past.

Currently, the "science" of coercion has reached almost spooky levels. Shopping malls are designed so that the shopper gets lost in a place where the exits are intentionally far apart and there are no clocks or windows or other ways to judge the passage of time. Sporting events, like pro football games, have turned into one marketing opportunity or corporate sponsorship after another. Under the skin, multi-level marketing schemes (also called pyramid schemes) are hard to distinguish from religious cults. Around the turn of the century, America's first retail art director believed that the retail environment could help lift taboos and give consumers the chance to express themselves through the art of consumption. That person was L. Frank Baum, author of The Wizard of Oz. Rushkoff also has a lot to say about the World Wide Web and the infamous "cookies".

To quote from the end of this book, "For without our complicity, they [the marketers and advertisers] are powerless. Without us, they don't exist". The first step in stopping these people is to read this fascinating and vital book.